GM's Journal - March 1892
Friday 4th March, 1892 - The Gathering The prospective members of the group receive this letter, hand delivered by a young boy who does not wait for a reply. Thursday 10th March, 1892 The group, following the instructions in Thomas' letter, meet at speaker's corner. Thomas gives them this letter to read. All of them accept the call of the Rippers ... some only after securing a stipend of £10 a month. Willie Garvin manages to help 'Rig' Jenson avoid a public brawl. A curious Blind Gypsy woman names each of the new lodge. Robert Carstairs: The Learned One, Guardian and Guide. Willie Garvin: The Loyal Companion. Sir Robert Holmes: He who was, and shall be again. Belladonna House: She who Changes. Tom 'Rig' Jenson: He of the Hard Hand. Morag MacTannon: The Fay. Reverend Steel: He of the Perilous Seat. The Gypsy also identifies a stranger as more than he appears, and The Revered, Garvin and Sir Robert accost the curiously changed man after he stumbles in the dark. This note is found in the pocket of the stranger. Returning to their new rooms, as provided by Thomas, Garvin is surprised to find his former love, Helena running out into the street. Her husband has been missing for several days, after some bad gambling debts caught up with him. Carstairs returns home to use his father's library and newspaper archives to research Belladonna House, as he has heard of her father. He discovers, that according to the sources available to him, Dr. Gregory House does not have a daughter, and has never married! Friday 11th March, 1892 - The Umbral Rooms Much research is done into the gambling club of which Helena's husband is a member. It is discovered that 'The Umbral Rooms' is a club to which membership can be gained only by personal invitation, and, as such, an alternative method of entry will be required. Rig hears of several deaths in the Tiger Dock area, in which he has worked before. Saturday 12th March, 1892 A Plan is concocted in order to gain entry to The Umbral Rooms. Carts and Crates and other materials are gathered. Sunday 13th March, 1892 Reverend Steel is distressed by the plan to break into The Umbral Rooms on the day of rest, and persuades the group to delay their action by a day. He, Morag and Sir Robert all attend different churches that morning. Carstairs is nowhere to be seen. Rig, Willie and Belladonna head to the Tiger Docks area to investigate the deaths. At the Tiger Docks, Rig discovers that two of his aquaintances have been different over this last week, since they were involved in a brawl with a Polynesian Sailor. Trying to track them down, Rig, Willie and Belladonna hear a man scream, and rushing to investigate discover a half man, half shark monstrosity, biting Tom Portman, one of Rig's friends in two! Garvin is sorely wounded by the beast, but with both his and Rig's efforts, it is defeated - changing, as it dies, into the form of John Jacobs, another of Rig's friends. Taking a necklace, carved in the image of a Shark, from the body, the lodge members flee the scene. That evening Sir Robert investigates The Umbral Rooms in person, discovering that the Cellar is blocked up from the outside - a curious thing to be done where deliveries need to be made. Carstairs is absent as he recieved this note from his father. He researches Dr. Mitchell. Monday 14th March, 1892 The plan to infiltrate The Umbral Rooms is put into action. En Route the lodge members spy an incredibly skilled puppeteer, working a Punch and Judy show - he is able to keep 4 puppets working at once! After the show the Puppeteer gives rag dolls out to some of the children that were watching. Morag buys a doll from one of the children for a sixpence and is then inundated by offers from other children - Sir Robert gives all of the children thruppence to leave them alone. Meanwhile, the rest of the lodge have broken into The Umbral Rooms, thanks to Garvin's ability to open locks without a key. They discover the members of the club are in a strange, fugue-like state, and they attack the lodge members, telling them "You should not be here". Undeterred, the lodge, now joined by Morag and Sir Robert, continue to investigate the club, finding their way to the cellar. The cellar is well appointed as a private gambling area, and there is a single, locked door that Garvin is able to open. Beyond the door is a corridor containing six cells, in one of which is Helena's Husband! Belladonna sets to helping the poor man, but he turns and attacks her, even as other club members, directed by a frenchman in a top-hat, assault the rest of the lodge moving out from the clubs inner sanctum. Garvin spies a strange Hourglass-like object within the sanctum, full of swirling energy. The fight is going against the lodge members until Morag, steeling her nerves in spite of her terror, makes her way into the clubs inner sanctum. and, gazing into the hourglass, realises that it contains the souls of the club members. Something comes over her, and with what appears to be holy fire, she destroys the hourglass and slays the Frenchman, before collapsing herself. She remembers nothing of her actions during this time. There has been gunfire during the altercation, and the Police soon arrive - fortunately the quick talking of the lodge members, backed up by the protestations of Helena's husband, Lord Wicks, that they were acting in the public interest, keeps the Police from causing any problems. It is ironic, perhaps, that even as the Police are being convinced of the lack of ill-intent on the part of the lodge members, Garvin is robbing the club's vault, taking several gemstones. Carstairs is working at the British Museum, aiding in the assembly of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton procured by Dr. Mitchell. Tuesday 15th March, 1892 Belladonna and Garvin bribe the attendant at the Morgue to let them take the body of the Frenchman from The Umbral Rooms in order that they might investigate his apparent supernatural powers. Wednesday 16th March, 1892 - Carstairs Investigates Mr. Holmes Carstairs completes his work on the Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton. While taking a break that afternoon, overhears that the celebrated consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, has not been seen for several months. Deciding he is the kind of man that might be useful to the Rippers, he resolves to discover the reason for the dissapearance. Thursday 17th March, 1892 Carstairs breaks into 221b Baker Street, and is encountered by Dr. John Watson. Eventually he discovers that Holmes has been missing due to his Cocaine addiction. He resolves to help him, and does so by locking him in the basement of the Egyptology department of the British Museum, so he can't get hold of his Cocaine. Friday 18th March - Friday 1st April, 1892 Wilson Thomas visits, and the use of a Rippertech lab is secured for the next fortnight. Belladonna does research into the body of the man dupped 'the croupier' - she believes that she might be able to create an implant from his fingers, and an extract from his brain. Over this fortnight 2 doses of 'Extract of Luck' are created. 'Rig' spends his time in sparring matches at the docks. During the first week he is injured, and spends the second recuperating. Reverend Steele spends the fortnight recovering from the attack on The Umbral Rooms, not physically, but spiritually, as Morag's actions have caused him more than a little angst. He spends some time in the Ripper's library trying to understand what she did. While he gains no direct answers, he finds many references to a group known as "the Rosicrucians". Morag and Sir Robert spend time trying to track down the Punch and Judy man they saw before - and do indeed find him. Noticing a new character in his show - a young child, they come to the horrific realisation that the new character is one of the children that took away a rag-doll from the performance they saw previously. Garvin ingratiates himself with the servants of Lord and Lady Wicks in order to get a message to Helena. He recieves a letter from Lord Wicks in return, asking to meet him. Shortly after this meeting there is an announcement in the Times, applauding Garvin and his companions for their part in the rescue of not only Lord Wicks, but several others. Carstairs' actions during this time Friday 18th March - Detectives and Dinosaurs Discovers that Holmes somehow managed to smuggle a needle into his 'cell'. And takes it away. That evening he attends the fund raising party his father requested him to, and recruits Dr. Mitchell to the Rippers cause. As he does so, however, there is a strange tremor that runs through the Museum and Dr. Mitchell is knocked unconcious. Rushing to investigate what has happened, Carstairs passes through the Etymology hall, where the exhibits, pinned to their boards, have begun to move! Entering the main exhibit it is apparent that the Tyrannosaurus Skeleton has come to life! Through derring do, Carstairs is able to defeat it, along with a foreign gentleman that bursts in announcing his command over the beast. Calling upon Wilson Thomas, an arrangement to hyponotise those that were at the fund-raising party to make them believe all is well is made. Saturday 19th March Once more, Holmes has managed to acquire a needle. Putting two Ripper guards on the door, Carstairs leaves him for another night. Sunday 20th March Again, Holmes manages, somehow to gain a needle of Cocaine. Monday 21st March Even tied to a chair, Holmes is able to free himself, and inject with a needle Carstairs swore was not there before. Tuesday 22nd March Again syringes are found in Holmes' room. Carstairs decides to leave the guarding of the detective in the hands of his fellow Rippers, and spends a week recuperating from the injuries he suffered battling the Tyrannosaurus Skeleton. Tuesday 29th March Returns to visit Holmes again. Somehow he has managed to acquire a syringe containing a 7% solution of Cocaine every night. He resolves to spend the night in Holmes' cell. Wednesday 30th March In the small hours of the Morning, a ghostly figure appears, identifying himself as Professor Moriarty, he hands Holmes an equally ghostly syringe, which solidifies in his hands. Overcoming his fear, Carstairs takes the syringe from Holmes. Moriarty leaves, with a doff of his hat. Thursday 31st March Again, Moriarty Visits. Next Page Contents